The Hermeneutic Fruitfulness of Interculturality

Abstract

In this paper I focus on Gadamer’s Philosophical hermeneutics in order to consider the possibility of an intercultural understanding. I start by calling attention on some limitations of the Gadamerian “productivity of temporal distance”, which were recognized by Gadamer himself. Although Gadamer does not explicitly refer to the area of multiculturalism, I propose to consider the cultural distance as the task of an intercultural hermeneutics. So my working hypothesis will be to see if the hermeneutical treatment of interculturality contributes to overcoming some of the critical gaps that involves temporal distance and what possible advantages or limitations involved. We examine whether the Gadamerian approach manages adequately to respond to those challenges of understanding people from another culture. And we confront some intercultural readings about the Gadamerian hermeneutics such as the Ram Adhar Mall with the one of Charles Taylor.